Paper drinking cup



April 11, 1939. LANE v 2,154,003

PAPER DRINKING CUP Filed Sept. 30, 1937 VIA'IIIIIIIII a JiZZ/fiiii) M g/0572 filkw Zfl 55 I Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to paperdrinking cups and has for an object to produce a cup of simple and inexpensive construction, but which is not liable to collapse in the hand of the user or tend to slip out from between his fingers. It has for a further object to provide a cup adapted to be nested with others in a dispenser but which is so formed as to facilitate the removal of but one cup at a time from the dispenser.

To these and other ends, which may later appear, the cup of this invention is formed tapered, but preferably of substantially rectangular cross section toward its closed end and so reinforced and stiffened as to permit a sumciently firm grip of the fingers thereon for a secure holding thereof while resisting the engagement of the cup gripped on the cups nested therein in the dispenser, so as to avoid the removal of more than one cup when the lowest cup of the stack in the dispenser is being removed.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views showing two forms of the cup of this invention.

Figure 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing a stack of cups in the dispenser tube, the lowest cup being removed.

Figure 4 is a plan of a blank from which the cup of Figure 1 may be made.

Figure 5 is a perspective View showing the blank of Figure 4 partly made up.

Figures 6 and 7 are fragmentary sections showing the manner of sealing and reinforcing the cup.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view similar to a portion of Figure 4, but showing the blank for making the cup of Figure 2.

Referring first to Figures 1, 4 and 5, the cup is shown as-formed of a generally sector shaped blank I of paper which is suitably treated to render it waterproof or water-resistant. Its upper edge is formed as an are 2 and its side is provided with four longitudinal fold lines 3, 4, 5, and 6 terminating somewhat below its upper edge. Between the adjacent side edge 30 of the sheet and the fold line 3, the blank is provided with a bottom extension I defined in Figure 4 by the dotted line 8. Similarly the portion between the fold lines 4 and 5 is provided with a bottom extension 9, while the portion between the fold line 6 and the adjacent side edge 60 of the sheet is formed with a larger and widened extension ill. The sheet is rolled up into cup form with its side edges in overlapping relation, and bringing the extensions 1 and 9 together as shown in Figure 5. The lapping side edge portions are secured together as by a suitable adhesive to form the side seam i2 (Figure 1). These extensions are secured together, as shown in Figure 6, and then folded up against the side of the cup as shown in dotted lines in Figure 6 and in full lines in Figure 7. Then the extension 10 is folded up over the extensions 1 and 9 and secured to the outer face of the cup on the opposite side to the seam l2, as shown in Figure 1. This provides a cup in which the closed bottom is formed by a line of fold of the extensions 'l and 9 and it is further reinforced and stiffened by the portion it) which is folded thereover.

It will be noted that the lower portion of the cup is substantially rectangular in section having ends formed between the fold lines 3 and 4 and 5 and 6, respectively, which converge to a point, and side walls in planes of the line of the closed end between the fold lines 6 and 5 and 3 and 6, respectively, which are of substantial width at their lower end which is along the edge line formed by folding up the extensions '1 and 9, and the extension Ill thereover. The sides are thus stiffened on one side by the seam l2 and on the other side by the extension l0, thus resisting collapse between the fingers when the cup is being removed from the dispensing tube l5 shown in Figure 3. It will be noted that the lower portion of the edge 35 is cut back as at 3|, the portion 3| lying just inwardly of the fold line 6 when the cup is formed. The portion between the edge 3! and the fold line 3, and which is overlapped for substantially the full width of the adhesive coated portion next to the edge 6!], acts to further stiffen and reinforce one side wall of the cup throughout substantially its full width, the overlap being for substantially the full width of one side of the lower portion of the cup. As shown in Figure 3, the dispensing tube l5 has a lower portion of reduced internal diameter at l6, which tends to hold the stack of nested cups against removal, but by grasping the lower end portion of the cup endwise between the fingers, the lowest cup of the stack may be pulled down and removed. The reinforcing and stiffening members along the sides of the cup adjacent to the lower edge prevent collapse of the lowest cup of the stack against the next one above so that the one above is not gripped by pressure exerted on the lowest one and therefore is not removed when the lowest one is pulled out. Likewise the stiffened and reinforced lower portion of the cup provides a firm grip for the hand of the user at the ends of the rectangular section, these ends being so lit tle inclined from the parallel that there is little tendency for the cup to spring up out of the fingers which can maintain a firm grasp on the cup without danger of collapse. It will be noted, also, that the reinforcing extension II], as well as the portion bounded by the edge 3|, extends the full height of that portion of the cup which can be grasped by the fingers when the cup is being removed from the dispensing tube 15. Thus the reinforcement extends upwardly for substantially the full height of what may be termed the grasping zone of the cup. This zone is at least one-half an inch in height and is preferably an inch or even more, and the amount of paper necessary to reinforce this zone can well be employed without substantial increase in price of the cup due to the additional material used. The cup so held in the fingers as it is being removed is in convenient position to be presented to the lips of the user who drinks from the upper edge thereof above one end of the rectangular lower portion. If desired, the upper edge of the cup may be provided with an extension which may be folded down to reinforce the drinking edge and present a folded rather than a sharp cut edge to the lips of the user, this being shown at I 3 in Figure 2.

In Figures 2 and 8 is shown a somewhat modified construction in which the reinforcing tab which extends up on one side of the cup from its lower edge is folded up on the same side as the seam l2 rather than on the opposite side, this acting to produce one very stiif side to the cup while the opposite side is not reinforced. The fingers of the user grasp the cup where it is sufiiciently narrow so that this very stiff side is sufiicient to take the pressure of the fingers thereon, and on the whole presents a structure even more firmly reinforced against deformation than where the reinforcing tab is on the opposite side of the cup to the seam I2. When this arrangement is desired, the lower edge of the blank, as shown in Figure 8, will be provided with an extension 26 extending from the side portion of the cup between the fold lines 4 and 5, and the portion between the fold lines 6 and the edge 66 will be provided with an extension 2! which will be united to the extension 7 when the cup is formed. The portions 1 and 2! being united, are then folded up, and the reinforcing tab 20 is brought up and secured in overlapping relation to the fold line formed by the overlapping edge portions 60 and 30.

In both forms of cup illustrated, it will be noted that the tab which is folded up around the folded bottom of the cup is of a width nearly equal to the space between the fold lines 4 and 5 so as to reinforce the cup throughout substantially its entire width from its lower edge upwardly somewhat above where the cup will be grasped by the fingers of the user in removing it from the dispenser.

From the foregoing description of certain embodiments of this invention, it will be evi- I dent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A paper cup tapered lengthwise converging toward its closed lower end where it is adapted to be grasped and of substantially rectangular section adjacent to said lower end, said cup being formed up from a sheet of paper having overlapping end edges adhesively secured together, the overlap of said edges adjacent to said closed end extending for substantially the full width of one side of said cup for the full height of the grasping zone, said cup having a reinforcing layer folded about said end and adhesively secured to one side of said cup and of substantially the full width thereof for the full height of the grasping zone.

2. A paper cup tapered lengthwise converging toward its closed lower end where it is adapted to be grasped and of substantially rectangular section adjacent to said lower end, said cup being formed up from a sheet of paper having overlapping end edges adhesively secured together, the overlap of said edges adjacent to said closed end extending for substantially the full width of one side of said cup, said cup having a reinforcing layer folded about said end and adhesively secured to the opposite side of said cup t to said overlapped edges and of substantially the full width thereof for the full height of the grasping zone.

3. A paper cup tapered lengthwise converging toward its closed lower end where it is adapted to be grasped and of substantially rectangular section adjacent to said lower end, said cup being formed up from a sheet of paper having overlapping end edges adhesively seciued together,

the overlap of said edges adjacent to said closed end extending for substantially the full width of one side of said cup, said cup having a reinforcing layer folded about said end and adhesively secured to the same side of said cup as said overlapped edges and of substantially the full Width thereof for the full height of the grasping zone.

JOHN D. LANE. 

